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hairmetal4ever

Quercus x comptoniae

hairmetal4ever
10 years ago

Who has a Compton's Oak? I think a few people here do...

Some literature calls it "semi-evergreen" yet I've seen a poster here (can't recall who) say it actually has fall color.

Is this something that would vary depending on what traits it gets from the lyrata vs the virginiana parents?

What else can you tell me about this Oak? Is it fast growing? Is there a chance of one being evergreen for me in zone 7?

Comments (19)

  • lucky_p
    10 years ago

    hair,
    I have Compton seedling from OIKOS, planted around '96 - some years has good red fall color, but not consistently. Not semi-evergreen here (70 mi NW of Nashville TN).
    Grafted a Compton selection sent by a friend in MO a year or so back. Will try to keep an eye on it and the seedling and report back on color this year.

  • hairmetal4ever
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks for the info. "Real" live oak grows so-so in DC and probably Baltimore city proper, but here in Howard County we get a good 5 - 10 degrees colder on winter nights, and have never seen a Q. virginiana anywhere here. I've seen some Q. hemisphaerica (sp?) that keep their leaves until Jan or Feb sometimes, but not truly evergreen.

    The National Arboretum has a few Q. virginianas that look OK, although not as nice as in the Deep South, or even down in the Tidewater area of Virginia.

    Yet Magnolia grandiflora does fine here. I'd assume they are of similar hardiness based on native ranges.

  • dricha
    10 years ago

    keep in mind that there is a lot of variation with these. Until any selections are made it's a coin toss to how they will turn out. Of the 20 to 30 trees I know of around DFW most are a little different, some nicer than others.

  • poaky1
    10 years ago

    I posted on the other thread but will just repeat some of it . The late drop live oaks are cheap, $5-$6 a tree on the Mossy oak site the Compton's is about $8 ish. You have to spend at least $20.00 minimum at Mossy oak, I got 4 Late drop L.O. for about $20.00. The Q. Fusiformis grows slower than the 2 Late dropL.O. so far anyway. Compton's oak champion in Virginia is as large as a southern live but lacks the branch shape and texture of the live oak. I forgot the shipping bumped the price up to about $30.00

  • poaky1
    10 years ago

    I have a Southern Magnolia and a Brackens brown beauty mag. I think they are zone 5 min.

  • poaky1
    10 years ago

    Here is 1 of my Compton's oaks at 3 yrs in g{{gwi:457616}}round

  • poaky1
    10 years ago

    I have 2 more Compton's oaks in my yard. I have included some Live Oak late drop varieties, that seem to be doing well so far in zone 6 Pa.

  • Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
    10 years ago

    The huge Compton Oak in Colonial Williamsburg is semi-evergreen. What a specimen it is though.

    But if your goal is to have something truly evergreen, look for a Northern provenance Q. virginiana, or a Q. fusiformis,

    Chinese Evergreen oak (Q. myrsinifolia) is hardier than Q. virginiana. Check it out.

    Also Lithocarpus henryi might do OK. It's a bit too course for me though.

    Don't forget Magnolias and hollies!

  • poaky1
    10 years ago

    I love Hollies too, but they are hard to find in tree form in my area. I could definitely use them in a few areas in the future. I am just worried if I plant them in a low area, it may be to wet for them. my upland yard is pretty well planted out. The bare areas are for food gardening. Maybe I can mound plant some.

  • bengz6westmd
    10 years ago

    ***
    Posted by hairmetal4ever Z7 MD on
    Thu, Oct 3, 13 at 11:06
    ***

    Hair, the evergreen oaks seem like exceptions in dealing w/colder climates. Most of the southern deciduous oaks do well in z6 or a bit colder.

    Magnolias are more cold-hardy than we think. Cucumber trees & tuliptrees grow into z5 w/no problem. Even the big-leafed understory mags like umbrella mag do fine here in z6, as does southern magnolia. Unlike the evergreen oaks, southern mag seems to overcome the general vulnerability of evergreen hardwoods to colder climates, at least to z6. Hard to guess why -- perhaps southern mag has simply retained some measure of ancient cold-tolerance while live oaks didn't (or never had it).

  • poaky1
    10 years ago

    Sorry, I didn't post pictures of Live oak "late drop". Go onto the Mossy oak natives site and they have the Live oak "late drop" tree on their site.

  • poaky1
    10 years ago

    Late post I guess, but, zone 7 may keep Compton's oak green anyway.

  • gardener365
    10 years ago

    I don't know how may I sowed [not many, likely (3)], however I have open pollinated seed from zone 5b.

    Dax

  • poaky1
    10 years ago

    Dax, you found a Compton's oak in zone 5b? If so do you have a picture of it to post? I've only seen the one in Williamsburg, Virginia as an example of a mature Compton's oak. And in pictures only, someone posted a bigger image of it on here not too long ago and I was happy to see it's branching was a lot more like live oak than I thought it was from looking at other pictures of it. I know that with hybrids each tree is an individual, though. Or is it still kinda small?( The one you got acorns from.) I know they are said to be early acorn bearing. I did see a picture of 2 Compton's oaks online but they were still young, about 25 ft tall, but thin and gangly still. How's the pooch, DAX? Hopefully good. My Pooch is still kicking, he still is being adjusted on insulin, he is 150 lbs, so they have to keep uping his dose, thank goodness my parents are helping with the cost so I can accommodate his needs.

  • poaky1
    10 years ago

    There was a mention above of a grafted Compton's oak by Lucky P. Those from Mossy oak natives aren't grafted, they are a hybrid from seed.

  • gardener365
    10 years ago

    Pooch is great! Glad to hear as is yours, poaky.

    The seed is from Starhill Forest Arboretum. Let me see if I can find a photo from a previous visit. I went to a seed exchange/friends get-together there this fall.

    Been busy with nut trees....... my newest addiction and at the top of my list regarding horticulture. Oaks second. Done with conifers........ a decade of conifers was enough.

    Dax

  • gardener365
    10 years ago

    Here you go:

    {{gwi:457617}}

    {{gwi:457618}}

    {{gwi:457619}}

    Dax

  • poaky1
    10 years ago

    Thanks Dax, I think you have posted those pics before, I just remembered seeing them after seeing them again. Sorry, my memory isn't too good. Glad the pooch is fine.

  • gardener365
    10 years ago

    Thanks!

    Yes, same tree as before but always happy to re-post photos or information.

    Have a nice week. 7 degrees here this morning..... yikes!

    Dax